Prince William is set to attend the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium this Saturday, just weeks after enduring a double dose of football heartbreak alongside his son, Prince George.
The Prince of Wales, who serves as Patron of the Football Association, had high hopes for his beloved Aston Villa this season.Â
But those dreams were dashed in April when Crystal Palace delivered a crushing 3-0 defeat to Villa in the FA Cup semi-finals.
Adding to the disappointment, the loss came less than two weeks after William and George watched Aston Villa bow out of the Champions League, making it a tough month for the royal father and son duo, both devoted supporters of the club.
Saturday’s final will see Manchester City who comfortably beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 in their semi take on Crystal Palace for the coveted trophy.Â
While his team won’t be on the pitch, Prince William’s presence will continue his long-standing support for English football in his role as FA Patron.
The royal duo were in the stands for both legs of Villa’s high-stakes Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, first traveling to Paris and then returning home to cheer from the stands at Villa Park.Â
While Villa claimed a thrilling 3-2 win in the second leg in Birmingham, it wasn’t enough to overturn their 3-1 defeat in France resulting in a 5-4 aggregate loss and a heartbreaking Champions League exit.
As if that wasn’t tough enough, the disappointment was compounded days later when Crystal Palace dealt Aston Villa a crushing 3-0 blow in the FA Cup semi-final, putting an end to the club’s hopes of lifting their first major trophy since 1996.